Over the past two and a half years, I have served as the Campus Archaeologist for the MSU Campus Archaeology Program. This program was developed in 2008 to mitigate the construction work that occurs at Michigan State University, and to make sure that the Campus acts as a positive steward towards its cultural resources.
This position has afforded me a number of unique opportunities to develop professionally as an academic, archaeologist, teacher, and administrator. As an academic and archaeologist, I served as Principal Investigator on all archaeological excavations, completed site reports, developed research strategies, presented conference posters and papers, and co-directed an on campus field school. As a teacher, I was able to both teach a field school and develop and mentor undergraduate interns. Administratively, I was able to take part in all aspects of the new program’s development, maintained the website, developed a social media campaign, and worked with members of the MSU community in divisions such as Archives, the Museum, University Outreach and Engagement, Physical Plant, Landscape Services, and University Relations.
Through these experiences, I have developed a better appreciation for Michigan State University and its past. In particular, the program has emphasized the importance of Engaged Archaeology, particularly through the use of digital social media. Additionally, this program has helped to develop a new field of archaeology focusing on the archaeology of higher education.
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